listless
Tired and without interest in anything.
- Too hot to play, the children lay listless in the shade, ignoring their toys.
- The goldfish seemed listless, drifting near the surface and showing no interest in its food.
Similar: tired, weary, dull
listless or weary?
Weary is tiredness you have earned. Listless is flatness, with no energy or interest.
Both words describe someone without much get-up-and-go, and they appear in each other's synonym lists. The difference is the cause, and whether the person still cares.
Weary comes from effort. After a long walk up a muddy hill, or a whole day at a school sports tournament, you are weary. You worked hard, and your body needs a rest. A weary person may still be pleased with what they did.
Listless is about having no spark. On a sticky summer afternoon, children might lie listless on the sofa, ignoring their toys, even though they have done nothing tiring at all. Being unwell can make you listless too. The word is as much about losing interest as about losing energy.
Both words, side by side
weary
Very tired after long effort.
- The weary hikers dropped their packs and flopped onto the grass.
- After the night shift, the weary nurse could barely keep her eyes open on the bus home.
Similar: tired, exhausted, worn-out
Why it costs marks
Questions about how a character feels, or why, often depend on this difference. A weary character has been working hard; a listless one has lost interest or energy. Choosing the wrong one gives the wrong reason for the character's mood.
Definitions and example sentences on this page are the ones a child sees inside Wordrealm, taken from our list of over 1,100 words. It is free to browse, with nothing to sign up for.
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test